Within You
by Lorilei Mackenzie
Summary: Xelha is staying at the Imperial Fortress. What happens when she tries to thank Folon for harnessing Alfard's power? Folon/Xelha


Xelha would have never expected such a noble deed from Folon. Nervously she stood outside the door to his room, debating yet again on whether or not she should knock. She wanted to thank him for helping them defeat Malpercio.

For what must have been the billionth time that week, she lost her nerve and made her way to her own room. No matter how hard she tried, Xelha could not see it to be within Folon's nature to help them without some self-serving purpose. That was how bitter the experiments had made him…it was how bitter the _Empire_ made him.

* * *

As Xelha lay on her bed, she reflected back to the first time she had met Folon. It had been when she was pretending to be a maid for the Imperial Fortress. None of the soldiers had been nice, but Folon in particular had gone out of his way to make her life a living hell.

He would smash furniture and blame it on her clumsiness; if she had just mopped a floor he took extreme care in making sure he spilled every liquid imaginable. When she had retired to bed one evening, she found him (to her utmost horror) trying on her pajamas and modeling them in front of a mirror. Folon had even gone so far as to auction off her underwear to the lower guards.

None of that made him a killer of course, she reasoned. But then there were those cruel comments he made to Kalas…and then to Lyude. He had been forever tainted, that was sure.

And yet…could it be that she was simply holding a grudge against him for those petty tricks? After all, they had all thought Kalas was done for…perhaps there was hope after all.

Xelha sighed, got up and made her way to Folon's room yet again.

* * *

This was it. Breathing in deeply, Xelha knocked on Folon's door, and waited. A few seconds passed, and she raised her hand to knock again.

"What the hell do you want?" Folon asked grouchily, swinging open the door.

"Well, I…it's just that…" Xelha berated herself inwardly for seeming so awkward. Folon wasn't helping matters, with an arrogant grin stretching over his face. "I…can I come in?" She felt even more foolish standing in the corridor.

"I suppose," he said, and grin turned lecherous. " After all, I love having women in my room late at night. It's great for the reputation."

Xelha gave him a look, and stepped in. The room was just as disastrous as it had been when she was working there.

"So, what do you want," he said. She jumped. He had closed the door and was standing right behind her, and she could feel his breath on the back of my neck.

_Calm down. He's just trying to get to you,_ Xelha assured herself, turning to face him. "I just…I wanted to thank you," she stammered. "For helping us…and the other islands."

He let out a low chuckle, an amused grin on his face. Xelha flared up. "What's so funny?"

"Is that really all you came in here for?" Folon said, chuckling yet again. "It's about midnight, you knock on my door, and asked to be let in," he continued, coming closer to her. Xelha stepped back, but he continued forward. "And it was all just to thank me? Are you sure there wasn't anything else you wanted, oh mighty Ice Queen?" he said mockingly.

Xelha felt her back touch wall, and just noticed that they had ended up in the closet as soon as he shut the door.

"Folon! What are you-?!" her cry was soon muffled as he pinned her to the wall, pressing his mouth roughly against hers. She struggled for a moment, and realized it was futile as it was his pure feral strength holding her in place. And she had to admit it wasn't unappealing either.

She kissed him back with an intensity that surprised her. He loosed his grip on her, and they pulled away.

Folon looked somewhat abashed, but the look quickly disappeared. "Get out of here," he muttered, opening the closet door.

"But…what was that all about?!" Xelha exclaimed, bewildered by his sudden change in attitude.

"It was nothing, that was what it was. Get lost," he said again, leaving the closet. Xelha followed him. "And you wasted your thanks. I only did what Giacomo asked me to do!" he said angrily.

Xelha felt a surge of pity. It was her turn to take him by surprise as she embraced him tightly. "Oh Folon…you miss him a lot, don't you?"

He accepted the embrace, gently stroking her hair, contemplating her words. Then he shoved her away with a rekindled fury.

"I told you to get out of here!" he roared. His eyes were flashing with anger, and Xelha decided it was perhaps best that she leave.

She ran the rest of the way to her room, barely switching off the light before flying into her bed. _Folon…is there anyway to heal the pain within you?_ She asked herself worriedly.

* * *

Folon glared at the ceiling. Despite the late hour, he couldn't fall asleep. Giving up on sleep, he went into the adjacent bathroom, and looked himself over in the full view mirror.

_Nice move stupid,_ he thought to himself. _You've just scared off the only woman you loved who might've loved you back._ He continued to stare almost absently at his reflection, until he could take it no longer. He let out an animalistic scream of rage and hatred, bringing his fist back and slamming it full force into the glass. There was a major dent in the wall, and the glass had completely cut up his hand. Folon didn't care though. Nothing could compare to the pain he was feeling right then.


End file.
